Five Near Misses and a Bullseye
by chartreuseian
Summary: Helen and Nikola have been dancing around each other for too long and it's starting to show... Rating is for said bullseye... COMPLETE
1. Five

**So I've been trying to work on two of my other stories but this is all that I can get out... Maybe now I can finish those dastardly chapters that have been plaguing me...****All my problems at the moment are stemming from Helen's bedroom so it's nice to finally have her play nice for me...**

**I will admit my own exhaustion (first week back at uni and already I'm tired) did kind of inspire part of this although I don't have anyone nearly as delightful as Nikola to take me to bed...**

**And yes, as the title suggests, this particular story will have 6 chapters and while I have planned a few from a handful of episodes, suggestions are welcomed (especially for the bullseye)**

**Also, I wish I could say I owned this, but sadly not so please don't sue me :)**

**Enjoy**

**xx**

**5**

They were working on that damned map again, still trying to unravel the secrets her father had left her.

She let out a frustrated growl and turned back to the stack of books next to her, picking up yet another. She hadn't a clue what time it was, just that it was late at night, maybe very early morning. She could feel her stomach grumbling and everything ached but she couldn't stop now. She knew she should heed her own advice and go to bed but she could make it through, she knew that.

Blinking a few times to clear her head, she reread the last paragraph, the one her mind hadn't even started to comprehend. After reading it three more times and still getting nowhere, Helen slammed down the book and stood up. She strode around the hologram for a few minutes, her mind racing as she again became frustrated with how little they understood it. She stopped in front of one of the buildings, the one, she had decided, was her favourite.

It was beautiful, it wasn't the tallest in the city but the careful scrolls and the delicate carvings on the walls were truly stunning. She let out a yawn as she wondered what on earth the beautiful building could possibly hold. The yawn gave her pause. How long had it been since she slept? Maybe a day or two… She thought back. No, three days, she realised with a grimace. She knew from experience she could probably take one more day before it all became too much and she decided to take the risk.

With another yawn she turned back to her seat by the table, making to pick up the dusty old tome she'd discarded earlier.

"Not fair," a voice intoned from the doorway and Helen spun around to see Nikola leaning casually against the door frame. "How come I have a curfew and you get to stay up as late as you want?" he asked, stalking his way over to her.

"Because, Nikola," she said, gently closing the book before putting her hands on her hips, "you are mortal and mortal's need sleep." He glared at her for that. The 'm' word was off limits.

She opened her mouth to send him back to bed but another yawn escaped and, try as she might, she didn't quite cover it.

"You need sleep," he said, his voice tinged with concern.

"I'm fine," she swore, smiling at him whilst trying to keep her eyes open. It always happened like this, she only ever felt tired when someone told her she was. Nikola ignored her feeble lie and stepped forwards, his hands coming to her shoulders.

She wasn't quite sure if it was his presence or sheer exhaustion but she lost her balance momentarily, forcing him to step closer to stop her from falling. He looked down at her with concerned eyes and Helen smiled vaguely at him.

"Maybe you're right," she said sleepily, her eyelids starting to become heavy.

"I am a genius," he said smugly, looping an arm through hers. "Now come on," he added patiently as he tugged her away from the map. She would have fought it but suddenly the exhaustion in her bones became too much and with a weary sigh she forced one foot in front of the other. He noticed her lagging behind and moved his arm, trying to capture her waist.

"No," she said, waking up slightly, "I can walk." Nikola rolled his eyes, placing a hand on the small of her back instead. Something about that small contact made her shiver as it sent a bolt of… of… of something all together undefinable though her body. Her mind paused for a minute. Oh, who was she trying to kid, his hand on the small of her back sent bolts of lust through her body, plain and simple.

"What was that?" Nikola asked, his face surprised.

"What?" Helen asked, her mind, clouded with sleep and lust struggling to make sense of his words.

"What did you say? Just before," he prompted, a smirk threatening on his lips.

Helen would have blushed if sleep wasn't beginning to win the war. She must have said something, one of her last thoughts. Possibly, she mused at the look on his face, something about lust.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, trying to make her tone as curt as possible as she jammed her finger into what she thought was the elevator button. Or not, as she found out, her finger throbbing as she readjusted, this time hitting the target.

Nikola chuckled at her behaviour and moved closer to her as they waited for the elevator.

They were several floors up before she realised her head was resting on his shoulder. She let out a contented sigh as the arm that had appeared around her waist pulled her more securely against his side.

Next time she opened her eyes they were in her room. She wasn't sure how he got her all the way down the corridor, she's not huge but he is tiny, especially now he's been devamped. Her eyes closed again for a moment and, acting on instinct, she started to undress, fingers struggling with small buttons, shoes kicked into the corner until her skirt comes away with just a tug of the wrist. Slowly, her eyes barely open, she moved around the room, gathering up her discarded clothes as she headed to the wardrobe.

She realised, a little too late that he's still in the room, watching her uncertainly. She fumbled, almost falling to her knees as she drops the clothes in her arms. He rushed forwards, grabbing her arm a moment before her knees give out.

"Come on," he said, pulling her upright before leading her over to the bed. She sat down with another sigh, not sure if he's actually there or if she's dreaming whilst awake. It wouldn't be the first time.

He reappeared carrying a nightgown. Gently, and with averted eyes her brain manages to notice, he unclasped her bra before pulling the silk over her head. Her hair is a mess, she knows but now the tiredness in her bones is seeping into her consciousness. She didn't even realise that he'd thrown back the covers, she simply fell back into bed.

With a soft sigh, her already closed eyes gave up the fight.

"Goodnight," he whispered against her temple. Reaching out with more speed than she knew she possessed, she grabbed the front of his jacket.

"Stay," she whispered. Gently he eased out of her grasp and she felt his weight leave the bed. Using everything she had, she pulled her head off the pillow, looking around blearily for him.

Then, the other side of the bed sank with his weight.

"Sleep," he murmured, slipping under the covers and moving towards her until his body was cradling hers. She sighed contentedly before rolling over.

"Nikola," she sighed, pressing her lips against his. Her kiss, although tired was passionate and Nikola fought to regain his composure. Her tongue danced against his lazily as one of her hands swept down his chest to caress his growing erection through the fabric of his pants. He let out a soft moan as one of his hands drifted towards her barely concealed chest, tingling as he started to stroke the pale flesh. She shivered in his arms, her mouth deepening the kiss. He pulled back for the moment, mouth dropping to her neck as one of her legs slid up and over his hip. He bit down gently and she let out a moan, her hand picking up the pace a little.

Then he realised where they were and what they were doing and the fact that she would probably kill him in the morning. And he wouldn't survive said killing to make a proper go of this.

"Sleep," he insisted, pulling back, holding her face tenderly before giving her a soft peck on the lips.

She pouted, eyes closed but stopped fighting for another kiss, instead curling into his chest.

"Good night," he said into her hair as his arms held her close but she was already asleep.


	2. Four

**Gettin' a little more angsty in this chapter... The next one will be similar in that respect but we shall return to lighthearted city :)**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**Enjoy**

**xx**

* * *

><p><strong>4<strong>

He was terrified. Absolutely and completely terrified. It was a new feeing, granted, but one he wasn't enjoying. He'd never been particularly attached to life until someone threatened to take it away. Normally he could handle it, destroy the threat without more than a little exertion on his part. Only tonight was different. Tonight he really could die and, it seemed, very likely would. His breathing was heavy and laboured as he ran, actually ran towards the hulking entry gates.

They couldn't be more than a few minutes behind him. He'd always liked to play dangerous games but somehow, he'd forgotten that he was no longer dangerous. Well, that wasn't completely true. He did know how he'd forgotten about being _mortal_ again. It had been a while since he'd felt the effects of alcohol and tonight he'd forgotten about that glorious fact. Alcohol washed away everything it seemed, including the rather painful memory of some insolent children and a rather foolish gap in his otherwise flawless invention.

He reached the gates and fumbled for the key pad, desperately hoping she hadn't changed his emergency access code. He sighed in relief as the gates began to swing open and just in time too. Behind him he could hear the sound of… of goons, it seemed. Of course that lecherous liar would have other people to do his dirty work.

Using all his weight, Nikola pushed against the gate until it closed with a clunk. His heart stopped pounding and he relaxed a little.

Well, until a bullet scrapped past the flesh on his arm. He scurried to the side, hiding unceremoniously behind a pillar, one hand clamped to the wound on his arm. He hissed out a breath as he heard more bullets whizzing past him. The goons may not be able to aim but clearly they chose quantity over quality. He shuffled around the pillar further, confident that he'd be safe there. Taking a deep breath, he removed his hand and glanced down at the ruined sleeve of his shirt. He watched, oddly fascinated as the blood pulsed out of his arm, warm and sticky in the tepid night air.

More bullets. He sighed, there was a reason he'd never used mindless goons unless he absolutely had to. Ah well, he thought, placing his hand back over the wound, at least Helen would be here soon. If the use of his emergency code to get in hadn't set off some old alarm in that bloody church, then surely the bullets whizzing over her front lawn would get someone's attention.

Nikola settled down against the stone behind him, stretching out his aching legs. With a cry he realised that was a mistake.

"Son of a bitch!"

He rolled away, trying to keep his hand on his arm whilst also clamping down on the fresh blood coming from his thigh. He gritted his teeth, almost praying for Helen to come out.

He was about to start cursing when there was movement. The front door swung open and light came streaming out from behind whoever he had just dubbed as his saviour. There was a growl and Nikola knew his angel wasn't quite the person he had in mind. There were a few more shots fired, mostly from the house before everything fell quiet. He could hear the deep breathing of the mindless goons and he felt a twinge of annoyance that they hadn't used real weapons, instead opting for the more humane but less satisfying option of stunners.

"A little help," Nikola called out. The pain was starting to get worse and he was fairly sure he was about to pass out. He watched as the light from the doorway flickered, his heart tightening. Perhaps they hadn't heard him. Perhaps they were about to leave him out here to die. He was about to call out again when he noticed the figures moving towards him.

"Nikola," she breathed as she moved to cradle his head.

"Helen," he forced out between the burning pain in his arm and leg. He could feel the silk of her nightgown against his hand when he reached out to her. The moon was high in the sky so he could see she dressed, head to two in white. White silk, he let out a strained chuckle at that.

"Perfect," he growled, not looking at her.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, worried but that note of authority still in her voice.

"Aside from being shot?" he asked, managing to smirk at her through the pain. "You, dressed all in white coming to my aide is rather poetic," he continued with a knowing smile. Helen seemed to flounder for a minute before anger crossed over her face. He thought for a moment she might kill him but concern filled her features once again.

He let out a groan as something hit his open wound. He opened his eyes wide to find one of the children (he couldn't be sure which one with his vision swimming the way it was) pouring a bottle of something over his leg. Then onto his arm. He let out another loud cry before looking at Helen, her eyes wide and terrified as she held him tightly.

"It'll be O.K," he promised her tightly. "Tis but a scratch." She let out a weak chuckle and opened her mouth to say something but it was too late, the blackness had swallowed him up.

* * *

><p>Someone was saying his name. Softly and from not too far away from his ear. Helen, he decided happily. He let her scent wash over him, enjoying the fact that he could feel the heat from her body, she was that close.<p>

"Nikola, I know you're awake," she chastised, her voice tired.

Nikola chuckled softly before struggling to open his eyes.

"Helen, my love. Wonderful to see you as always," he joked, wincing slightly as he tried to sit up further.

She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and Nikola chuckled again.

"As always, I am astounded to see that you actually care about me," he said, trying for a smirk that he was fairly certain turned out like more of a grimace.

"Of course I care about you," she said angrily. Evidently she'd decided that he was no longer on the brink of death and could berate him thus. He opened his mouth to reply but he'd tried to move his arm. He let out a groan and sank back against the bed. She stood up and flittered over him nervous.

Through the haze of pain, Nikola managed to appreciate Helen Magnus, the nervous edition. Her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders, slightly frizzy, maybe a tad larger than normal and Nikola decided he liked it, the messiness of it just so totally in juxtaposition to her normal manner. She was still wearing that ineffectual but heart stopping white silk nightgown except now it was spotted with blood. His blood, he realised uneasily. Her face was paler than he'd seen it in a while and Nikola found himself feeling guilty that he'd woken her on one of the rare occasions she'd actually been sleeping.

"Don't do this again," Helen said quietly, stopping his train of thought.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, rolling his eyes. She chuckled tiredly before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"What did you do?" she asked, a note of amusement in her voice.

"I defended someone's honour," he fudged and she made a face. "Lost a bet." Another face. "Called someone an insolent fool with little understanding of the consequences of annoying me." She laughed and he made a face.

"Oh Nikola," she said fondly, laying a hand on his face. "Will you ever learn?"

"I was drunk," he admitted. "I forgot I'd been…. de-vamped," he said the words with barely concealed distaste. She said nothing, simply running a hand through his hair. Nikola watched her, now even more angry about the current state of affairs. Here she was, sitting not a foot from him, stroking him gently with a smile on her face and he could do nothing. All it would take would be for him to lean forwards and he could have captured her lips. But no, he was incapacitated and she was enjoying it. He realised unhappily she was probably only being this affectionate because he couldn't do anything about it. Or so she thought.

"Helen," he said, his voice soft but wary. Her eyes flicked to his eyes and her smile faltered for a moment, her hand stilling in his hair. They sat for a moment, the tension thick in the air between them. Slowly, she leaned in pausing only when she was millimetres from his lips.

"Helen," he breathed, allowing his eyes to close. He was savouring the moment, fully expecting her to pull away with an apology. After a moment, he opened one eye. She was still very close to him, her eyes beginning to blur in his vision. He moved forward as far as he could and they were only a hairsbreadth apart. She let out a soft sight before finally moving even closer to him, her lips brushing over his softly.

Now it was his turn to sigh. Before he could open his mouth again, her lips were on his again, this time a little firmer. The kiss was soft, gentle and exploratory, her lips moving tentatively across his, her hand still in his hair, holding him to her. She ran her tongue along the line of his lip and a small breath escaped him. She took the chance, letting just the tip of her tongue dart into his mouth as he did the same. Her hand tightened on him and his free hand moved to her neck. Their tongues began to dance together, exploring the taste of each other. Helen let out another sigh before deepening the kiss, her body arching towards him. Nikola was about to try moving his other arm when a startled yelp came from somewhere to their left.

Suddenly Helen pulled back and looked away, her cheeks pink, eyes wide as she took in whichever of the children had interrupted them.

"We need some help with the goons," Will said uncertainly. Helen looked between her protégé and Nikola. Nikola's heart jumped when he realised she was actually contemplating staying here with him. She wouldn't but it was nice to know she wanted to.

"Go," Nikola urged quietly. Her eyes grew wide at his words and she opened her mouth to say something. "Just come back later," he said with a wink and she smiled at that.

"I'd hit you if you weren't injured," she told him jovially, standing up. With one last smile for Nikola, Helen walked away, grabbing a nearby robe to throw over her shoulders.

Nikola listened to their footsteps as they retreated down the corridor. Despite the two bullets, tonight had been a good night, he decided. She may have to work now, but she'd be back.

He fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

The next day she avoided him.

The day after there was an emergency.

The day after that she was pulled away on business.

The day after that he gave up hope.

He left the very same day.


	3. Three

**I'll admit, it's been a while and for that I apologize. This little encounter takes us back through time (I hope it's clear where to) and is rather angsty... But let's face it, the previous one was too :P**

**Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews, you've all brightened up my day :)**

**Enjoy**

**xx**

* * *

><p><strong>3<strong>

The wind was cold through her skirts, plastering them to her shaking frame as she made her way through the rain soaked streets of London. She was terrified, completely lost and scared for her life. A new sensation, granted but certainly not an unfounded one considering why she was out in the middle of a storm late at night in one of the less pleasant parts of the city she called home.

All she had to do was get back to the house, get away from him and it would all be fine.

Of course the rain had only started _after_ she'd confronted him, even the elements seemed to be conspiring against her tonight. She was walking as fast as she could and even still, she knew it wouldn't be enough. He was going to be mad. More than mad, he'd be… she searched for the right word… murderous… she almost chuckled at her own twisted joke. Almost because he really was murderous. She'd shot him and that wasn't something to be taken lightly, regardless of whether or not she was his ex-fiancé.

She was only a few streets away now and the rain was starting to pick up. It was at this point that she started to regret wearing her overly elaborate outfit. Not that anything she owned was terribly simple but her reasons in choosing this particular ensemble now seemed ridiculous considering she was traipsing through the cold streets of London in it. Who cared if it was his favourite? It hadn't made any difference.

Bingo! She could see her town house and picked up the pace. By the time she managed to get the heavy front door open, the shock of it all set in and her body started to feel heavy. Her hands were shaking as she stood in the warm foyer.

"Helen!" James almost yelled from the top of the stairs. She looked up at him with dead eyes. He sprinted down the stairs, coming to a stop only when he could crush her into a hug.

"I tried," she whispered against his jacket. He shushed her before peeling off her drenched hat and coat, tossing them on a chair. Her heart felt like lead. She couldn't even feel the cold.

"Helen," another voice said. Nikola came dashing to her side, his hand pushing her hair from her face. She was still trembling as the two men helped her over to the sofa. She couldn't focus on any of them, her eyes unable to take in anything accept the memory of that girls blood pulsing from her neck.

"Nigel, get us some whiskey!" James yelled over his shoulder. Nikola sank down on his knees in front of her, one hand cupping her face tenderly. James threw several blankets around her, tucking her up as tightly as possible before sinking down next to her. Her mouth hung open as she tried to breath, her painfully tight dress limiting her ability to do so.

Nigel arrived promptly, four glasses in hand. He took one look at the group huddled by the couch and Helen's shivering features and poured her a generous serve. Suddenly her eyes found Nikola and she clung on to the one piece of reality she was sure of.

"What happened?" James asked but got no reply. Helen's eyes were fixed on Nikola's. His face carried a kind of tortured apology as he held her gaze, trying desperately to reassure her.

"Helen," James called again, this time a little louder as he wound an arm around her shoulders.

"It's O.K," Nikola said soothingly and there was a flicker of a smile on Helen's face.

"No it's not," she answered. "You were right."

"I'm sorry."

They all sat in silence for a moment.

"We need to get her changed," Nigel said after a moment. James looked up at him, startled by the sudden words but he nodded in assent. "I'll go get her maid," James said, trying to stand up.

"No," Helen whispered. "No one can…" she trailed off brokenly, a soft sob erupting from her throat.

"You need to get out of these wet clothes," James coaxed.

"In a minute."

They sat silently again before Helen let out an almighty sigh.

Wordlessly, Nikola stood up. Helen's eyes followed him before she too struggled to stand up, discarding the wet blankets as she went. The four of them slowly made their way upstairs, James and Nigel had their arms around her while Nikola held her hand. Thankfully the fire in her room was roaring. Slowly, they lowered her to the bed and stood back, uncertain as to how they should proceed.

"I can manage," Helen said in a small voice, waving her hand dismissively as she tried to smile at them. Somehow that cold detachment she'd perfected for their confrontation had abandoned her when she needed it most. She knew that she didn't need to be strong in front of these men but after all this time, it was her default setting. Letting them see her this broken was not an option. The tears were threatening to overflow as she looked up into the concerned faces before her.

With a lot of effort, Helen pushed herself off the bed to stand in front of them. Silently, she praised her self control for keeping her knees steady.

"We'll be back in the morning," James said with a kiss to her forehead. They all turned to leave, Nikola being the last. Once she was certain that the other two were out of the room, she reached out to Nikola, her knees finally giving out as she collapsed on the floor. He turned from his position in the doorway, startled to see her crumpled on the floor. He dashed back to her side and she looked up at with stricken eyes.

"Stay," she whispered, clutching his jacket to keep him close. Using all his strength, he cradled her against his body before lifting her up. As they sank onto the bed, she let out a little sigh.

"You have to change," he whispered into her hair before rolling away from her. "I'm not leaving," he soothed, when she whimpered.

Quickly he set about gathering up her clothes. For all he'd dreamed about undressing her, this was not even remotely living up to his expectations. In a matter of minutes he was back on the bed, helping her to kneel in front of him. After a few minutes of awkwardly pulling and pushing at her wet dress, they managed to get her into a cotton nightgown. Her hair was still wet so Nikola grabbed a towel and started to massage her head. Her eyes slid shut and Nikola took in her exhausted appearance. As much as she hated the fact, she still needed far more sleep than either he or James.

Releasing her head, Nikola slid off the bed. Her eyes popped open at his departure and she opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand.

Quickly he kicked off his shoes, following with his coat and waistcoat. He loosened his cravat before reaching over and pulling back the covers. She slid under the covers and he followed her. They both knew it was ridiculously improper but neither cared. They'd slept like this before though not for a very long time.

"I didn't want to be right," he whispered as he curled up closer to her.

"I didn't want you to be right," she replied quietly.

"You shouldn't have to hurt like this," he said, his voice breaking. She said nothing, simply moving deeper into his embrace.

After a few minutes, her shoulders started to shake and he pulled her tighter. "You're safe," he whispered urgently. "Nothing bad will happen now, we're all safe."

"If only," she said with a sigh. It was a matter of minutes before she fell asleep in his arms.

The next morning the sun was streaming in through the open window and Helen could feel someone playing with her hair. It was gentle action, one that was very familiar and as she rolled over, Helen couldn't help but smile.

"Nikola," she whispered, eyes still closed. He was the only person who had ever played with her hair. He said nothing and she snuggled in closer to him.

Then it all came back to her.

He must have felt her stiffen in her arms because all at once she found herself even closer to his warm body.

"I'm here," he said softly, his hand tracing a pattern down her back.

Without thinking, Helen pulled back so she could look him in the eye. She knew her eyes were watering but now she didn't care.

She moved closer to him again, this time capturing his lips in what was meant to be a friendly thank you but quickly her desperation got a hold of her. Her body moulded to his as her hands began to roam his chest, one hand finding its way into her hair, tangling their as she tried to pull him closer.

Nikola reacted instinctively, pulling her closer and attempting to deepen the kiss. As her lips parted to him, some tiny part of his brain started to shout, screaming that they couldn't, not like this. He pushed away the thoughts and started to trail a hand down her side. Helen shivered under his gentle touch but wanted more. She pushed against him until she was able to roll them so was straddling his hips. She could feel his evident attraction to her and it sent a thrill through her body.

He reached up and pulled her down for another heated kiss and she moaned softly as his hands started to push the soft cotton from her thighs. His lips moved to her neck, kissing her softly, nibbling here and there with a tenderness she refused to accept.

All of a sudden his mind caught up with his body and he realised where they were. And more importantly, why the woman he was in love with was throwing herself at him.

"Helen," he whispered reverently in her ear. "We mustn't." He started to stroke her back gently, trying to calm his desperate heart beat.

She pulled back, tears in her eyes at his gentle caresses.

"Nikola." His name sounded harsh from her tongue. She was in no mood for gentlemanly behaviour.

"This will not undo what has happened. Sleeping with me will not change what happened between you and John" he said quietly and her eyes began to flash dangerously. It was the first time either of them had said his name since Nikola had made the connection a few days ago.

"How dare you!" she screeched at him, tears flowing freely now. "How dare you even presume to speak to me in that way!" She pushed herself off him, almost flying to the edge of the bed. Swiftly she grabbed up a dressing gown and threw it around her shoulders, belting it tightly.

"Helen, please. You know we can't. After everything, I want to do this right," he said, eyes pleading as he moved towards her. His feet hit the ground and she took a large step back.

"Get out!" she order, her voice filled with disgust. Nikola absently wondered if she was more disgusted in him or herself. She was wiping at her tears pitifully with her sleeve and her blonde hair gave her a messy halo in the morning light. Nikola felt his heart start to break at the sight of her. Before she had a chance to react, he darted forwards, kissing her roughly as his hands bought their bodies together. At first she began to kiss him back, her mouth parting to his but then something clicked and she fought him.

"Get out!" she cried struggling against his embrace.

"Please Helen," he pleaded as she continued to fight him.

"Get off me Nikola!" she yelled, pushing with all her force. He stumbled back, trying not to look hurt. He opened his mouth to speak but decided against it.

"I'm sorry," he said tightly, turning to leave.

"I hate you," she whispered. Nikola paused at the door for a moment, taking a deep breath before leaving. He closed the door softly behind himself.

"I love you," he whispered, head against the door, eyes closed. He could hear her sobs on the other side of the door and the footsteps hurrying towards her room. Straightening himself out, Nikola turned just in time to see James and Nigel hurrying towards him.

"Make sure you knock. Then give her a moment," he instructed tersely. No doubt they had heard her cries but Nikola hoped that they truly didn't believe him capable of attacking her, regardless of what they heard.

As he started down the corridor, back to his own room, Nikola heard the sobs start to quieten and a soft knock on the door. She'd be fine, he told himself. James and Nigel will care for her.

It wasn't until half a century later he realised why she'd been so upset.

Turns out pregnancy really does mess with one's emotions.


	4. Two

**Yowza! It's been a while since I updated this one :S Sorry ^^ **

**This one is a bit shorter than others and is maybe a little kinky for some tastes but I make no apologies for my imagination :P Personally I don't think it's that bad (but, hey I might be a bit biased) but making people squirm wasn't my plan (not this time anyway)...**

**My personal title for this one is "That awkward moment when Helen finally learns Serbian." I always wondered when she learnt it (yes, I'm just assuming she did) and what would have prompted her to do so.**

**And how was I meant to resist using that line? It just begged to be manipulated!**

**Enjoy**

**xx**

* * *

><p><strong><span>2<span>**

"Thank you Dobby," she called over her shoulder as she sauntered away from him.

With a noise of disgust, Nikola turned away from her, starting to walk down a different corridor whilst muttering the foulest curses he had at his disposal. After a few moments, he shut his mouth. He may not have super human hearing but he could hear the angry footsteps approaching him.

"Shit," he muttered, finally slipping into English. He stopped walking and lo and behold, there was Helen walking towards him with a gleam in her eye that made him wary.

"What did you just call me?" she asked, her voice dangerously icy. The hall was dark, the only light coming from his torch. He smiled sheepishly at her.

"It was nothing," he said, trying to be smooth as he ignored the pit of unease growing in his stomach.

"Nikola," she warned. Oh boy, he thought, that was maybe the wrong route to take. It wasn't that he made a habit of hiding from a fight but today he felt it to be most prudent. Well, it was always prudent to avoid Helen's wrath. Unless he had her tied up, then he'd do whatever he damn well wanted. He loved it when she got angry at him but this was something more. This was genuine displeasure.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, trying to head her off. There was no way in hell he was going to repeat what he'd said.

"Nikola."

"I said sorry."

"And you are not forgiven."

"I'm really sorry."

"Did you forget I can understand you? Or are you just a little bit dim?" she asked menacingly. He could feel the tension brewing. He wanted to cower in the corner. His heart started when he recognized the emotion in her eyes. Rage. The same kind of rage that had caused her to shoot him on previous occasions. Surely she wouldn't shoot him for some misplaced curse words. Especially when he could no longer heal himself. Would she?

"I said sorry," he said, rolling his eyes. Bad move, he decided as she narrowed her eyes at him. She started to move towards him, slowly, her body taking on the feminie prowl of a lioness stalking her prey. Oh, he was in for it.

He opened his mouth to try another tack but was caught off balance as her lips came crashing down on his. Her hands were on his face, holding him to her as she kissed him thoroughly.

"You bastard," she half moaned against his lips as they fell back against the nearest wall. "I told you never, ever to speak to me like that." Then her lips were attached to his again as her body began to writhe against him.

He was too caught up in her assault to really hear what she was saying. His hands were pulling her impossibly closer as his tongue sought entrance. One of her hands was on his waist, nails digging in as the other tugged on his hair.

"Don't. You. Ever. Say. That. Again," she said between hot, opened mouthed kisses down his neck. He shivered and knotted one hand in her hair.

Then he remembered.

It was years ago and she had been very drunk at the time. She'd spilt a glass of wine on his fine, white suit and he'd promptly begun swearing at her in Serbian, confident she had no idea what he was saying. Needless to say, he was shocked when her eyes widened and her lips formed the most adorable pout.

He'd cut off somewhere between a comment on her choice of fiancé and another on her lack of morals, eyes widening in horror as anger flashed through her eyes.

"You… You understand me?" he's asked, voice shaky. He looked around the room, everyone else in various stages of inhibition. James was snoring softly in the corner, head against the wall. Nigel was even more ruddy faced than normal as he whispered something to John who promptly let out a very un-John like chuckle.

He'd never had any qualms when it came to berating his friends in Serbian. They all took issue with it but he'd always reasoned that if they didn't know what he was saying, it wasn't an insult and they could therefore present no argument to make him stop.

Maybe he ought to.

"I've been learning," she said, her cheeks colouring as her eyes began to darken.

"And how did you learn those words?" he asked, worried for his safety but more curious about her education. She looked a bit bashful at that and he raised an eyebrow towards her, suppressing a smirk.

"That doesn't matter," she said airily, waving her hand. Then she hiccupped, her entire body moving as she did so, hair bouncing as her eyes opened wide. "What matters is what you were saying…" she glanced around nervously, "about John." Her voice was no louder than a whisper as she glared at him, eyes flashing.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, no longer caring about the deep red stain across his chest. They both paused for a moment, regarding each other warily.

"Say it again," she said suddenly, eyes wide and imploring.

"You want me to call your…" he caught himself before he said 'fiancé,' knowing it would be too obvious. "You want me to call him _that_ again?"

She started to nod and then realised what she was asking. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

Unthinkingly, he said the words again. Her eyes darkened further but he was no longer worried.

He said it again and her eyes slid shut.

He said it a third time and she shivered, she actually shivered. Her hands were holding onto the table, her knuckles turning white under the pressure. She was biting her bottom lip as her shoulders tensed.

"Does it… Are you… uzbudite?" he asked quietly, praying she didn't know what he was asking.

Her eyes flew open and he had his answer before she nodded almost imperceptibly and a whimper slipped through her now pursed lips. He sat back, shocked at her admission. Suddenly she stood up, her skirts making a great noise as she turned from him and walked across the room. In a matter of moments she standing beside John and Nikola could just picture the image she presented. Her cheeks would be flushed from wine and his words, her eyes dark and lips trembling. He could see from where he sat that she was taking short, sharp breaths and he could only imagine what that was doing to her already captivating chest.

Unsurprisingly, it was only a matter of seconds before John was on his feet, arm around Helen as they walked side by side from the room. As they paused at the door, he heard her whisper those dirty words in his ear. John paused and looked down at her confused.

"What does that mean?" he asked her, the alcohol smothering his usually articulate tone.

"Learn Serbian and find out," she whispered back before tugging him down to kiss her. It wasn't anything new, they had all seen these displays of affection before but this time Nikola couldn't look away. Watching her kiss another man because of words he had said was a sick kind of torture that made him tremble but the thought of his own words priming her in such a way… He shivered.

A few days later he'd done it again and she'd sworn that if he dared try it again she'd tell John exactly what he was saying.

Even he knew what a lost cause looked like. Though he did offer her lessons, which she (much to his relief and disappointment) turned down.

Nikola was bought back to the present as her hands moved further down his body. Still half stuck in the memories, Nikola did exactly what he wanted to do all those years ago. He grabbed her, spinning them around until she landed against the wall with a thud. His lips connected with hers again and this time he didn't seek entrance with his tongue, he took it, daring her to react.

And did she ever.

Her body started to gyrate against him with increased urgency. She growled into his mouth as her hands began to pull at the fabric of his waistcoat. Using everything he had, Nikola pushed her back against the wall but without his enhanced strength, they were soon fighting for dominance, pushing and pulling.

With a violent shove, Helen pushed herself off him and Nikola stumbled.

"Never again will you say _that_," she said threateningly. "Not if you know what's good for you."

His face fell and she smirked before turning and walking away.

He swore again, raising his voice so she could hear him as she rounded the corner.

Maybe if he'd sworn in Serbian she wouldn't have kept walking.

"Careful, or I'll wash your mouth out," she warned and he chuckled.

"Didn't you just do that?" he called back.

He swore he could hear her snigger.


	5. One

**Yay for a nice big chapter :) Well, big for me anyway... **

**This was inspired by conversations about how exactly Nikola 'died' and what Helen had to do with it. So, in case it isn't clear, their plan (according to no one but myself) was to have Helen ring up to his hotel room, no one would answer, she'd go up to take a look, come racing back down and report him dead before slipping away... I suppose it doesn't really matter how it was gonna happen but that was just for anyone who's interested...**

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and I promise, several of the questions that have been asked will be answered in the next chapter... I was going to give y'all a little hint but, well, I think I'll leave you in suspense...**

**Enjoy**

**xx**

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><p><strong>1<strong>

"Ever slept with a dead man?" he whispered in her ear, enjoying the feel of her body crushed against his. Her breathing was laboured, forcing her chest against his with each sucking breath.

"This is not the time, Nikola," she scolded under her breath as she squirmed against him, trying to hide their bodies a little better behind the dumpster.

"If you don't stop doing _that_ I'm not going to be able to stop myself," he whispered back, making sure to graze her earlobe as he spoke. She froze in his arms and he pulled her more snugly against his body.

"Now is _really _not the time," she said again, her voice a little husky although Nikola was starting to think he was imagining it. "Plus you're not even dead. Yet," she said, her hands moving to his shoulders. They stayed that way for a moment, listening to the sounds of the street around them. Then came the gun shot. "They really don't want you to die, do they?" she muttered.

"Run," he growled at her, dragging her by the hand as they started towards the mouth of the alleyway. They heard heavy footsteps behind them and quickened their pace just as more gun shots rang out behind them. Nikola was much faster than her, his hand pulling her arm almost out of its socket as they ran. Even with his increased speed, they were too slow. Helen may have long legs but she was wearing a constricting dress and heels and Nikola found himself getting frustrated at her attire. Without a second thought he pulled her towards him, his hands slipping around her to allow him a better grasp as he lifted her feet of the ground.

With her cradled to his chest, Nikola picked up the pace. He ignored her cry of surprise and held her tighter. She fought his embrace for maybe a second before noticing how much faster they were travelling. Fisting her hands in his shirt she clung to him as the moved further into the alleys of New York. At some point, she wasn't sure when, Helen closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the feeling of his tensed muscles under her body. He was making her feel small and boneless, something she hadn't ever felt with quite this much intensity.

"Helen," came his amused voice. Her eyes flicked open and she realised they'd come to a stop behind a hotel. She recognized the back entrance to the New Yorker Hotel. She waited for him to release her but he never did, instead holding her tightly in his arms. She looked up into his eyes as he started down at her with intensity. While she couldn't place the emotion she saw there, the intensity of it was enough to make her squirm. Taking his cue, Nikola gently placed her back on her feet, his hand lingering on the small of her back.

"Thank you," she said, hoping he didn't notice how tight her words were. Judging by his smirk, he did.

"I've missed you," he said suddenly, his face open and genuine. She smiled back at him before shivering.

"10 years," he mused, holding out a hand to push open the door for her.

"Feels longer," she said quietly, half hoping he wouldn't hear it. He paused, hand on her back and gave her a warm, genuine smile. They stayed like that for a moment, before another gush of air made Helen shiver. Together they walked briskly through the large, bustling kitchen, Nikola's hand always on her back as he led her around. It was a matter of minutes before they were in the lobby, hiding behind a large, potted plant.

"You go upstairs," she instructed, not taking her eyes off the reception desk. "In a few minutes I'll go over and ask them to call up. You know what to do from there." Her gaze flicked back to his for a moment and she gave him a tight smile.

"It'll be fine. I bet they'll even put a plaque up in memory of me," he joked as he grabbed her hand, squeezing it briefly before letting it go again. She surprised him by grabbing it back and holding on tight. She looked back at the desk and bit her lip.

"Thank you," he said suddenly. "I probably should have said that before people started shooting at us." She simply smiled at him and squeezed his hand once.

They waited a few minutes and then Helen dropped his hand.

"Go," she urged, eyes wide. He nodded once and gave her a weak smile before striding to the elevators. He watched her until the doors slid shut.

She blinked back her tears as the carriage began to ascend. This was harder than she'd expected. The plan was simple enough and one she'd even attempted on occasion. Kill him. That was it. All they needed to do was make Nikola Tesla die. Well, yes, getting him to stay dead was an issue but all going to plan, the Serbian inventor would pass away in a matter of hours.

But that was just the problem. The moment 'Nikola Tesla' died, Nikola would disappear, out of her life forever and although they'd spent the past 10 years apart, the thought of not knowing where he was frightened her. She knew it had to happen sooner or later, after all, he was the most famous of all of them but she found herself wondering if maybe they could get just a few more years out of his 'life' before they gave him a grave. No, now she was being silly. They'd been planning this for months now. All the right officials had been contacted and everything he owned (that he hadn't secretly given Helen for safe keeping) would be considered classified and kept from the public's eye. And good thing too, she decided, remembering fondly his idiotic 'peace ray.'

Someone brushed past her and Helen came out of her revere with a start. Right, the plan, she remembered, shaking the red hair back off her shoulders. She straightened out and began heading… Wait, no, she wasn't meant to go to the elevators yet! For some unknown reason her feet were not carrying her to the concierge desk but towards the elevators.

A few minutes later she was on the 33rd floor, still at a complete loss as to how she got there. Then her hand was raised and knocking on the door of suite 3327. After a few moments of silence, she raised her hand and knocked again only to get no response.

"Nikola," she called tentatively. There was some scuffling from behind the door and in a heartbeat, it swung open.

"Helen, what are you doing?' Nikola all but hissed at her, his face clouded with confusion.

"I… I'm not sure," she said unsteadily. That must have been enough for him because he stepped back and let her in. Helen stumbled forwards, still a little dazed. '"Nikola, I…" she tried, looking up into his eyes, losing the veneer of confidence she usually toted, making her look like a small child.

He reached out and grabbed her shoulders, steering her over to the nearest couch. Helen sank into it before giving him a grateful smile. She looked around the room, a little confused. As her gaze returned to his, Nikola realised what she was looking for.

"He's next door. I've ever been so glad in all my life that I got a suite with two rooms," he said, repressing a shudder. Helen let out a weak chuckle but didn't have the strength to admonish him. In part, she almost agreed with him. The man they'd found to be _him_ was old. Really old. Far older than his supposed eighty six years but he was sick and so close to death that, in choosing him, they were actually giving him respite from the internal battle his body was waging against itself. Not that anyone would know of his sacrifice or even the cause of his death (this cover up went all the way to the top).

"So, what's wrong?" he asked, noticing that the colour was returning to her cheeks. She gave him a sheepish look as she squirmed a little on the sofa.

"I'm not sure. I was about to go and get them to call you but somehow I managed to end up here," she said, fudging the truth a little bit. She had a fair idea of why she was sitting here, knees weak and eyes wide but she'd be damned if she let herself fall into the trap of feeding his ego again.

When he smirked, she knew she'd failed on the ego front.

"You're gonna miss me," he said with glee, his face breaking into the biggest smile she'd seen in a long while. "Admit it, you didn't want to go through with it because it means you won't see me for a few years!"

She rolled her eyes and attempted a scoff.

"Of course I will miss you, Nikola. You are one of my oldest friends and you are about to officially die. Pardon me if I believe some decorum is needed for this moment."

"You'll miss me!" he said again, apparently choosing to ignore the fact that she clearly stated she'd miss him no more than she missed James after his 'death.' She sighed and shook her head.

"Nikola, I haven't seen you in the last 10 years, how on earth is this going to change anything?"

He stopped short at that. His face fell as he tried to find a way around her logic.

"But you'll still miss me?" he queried.

"Yes, Nikola," she said with a heavy sigh. Really, sometimes he could be such a child. He smiled at her again but this time there was less happiness and more… more leering.

"How 'bout a good bye kiss?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly. She reached out and slapped his arm. "I must say the red really does suit you, you have the perfect temperament for it," he muttered darkly and she smiled smugly. There was a brief paused between the two old friends. They were both sizing each other up, looking for a way past this tense moment and back to their normally playful banter.

By the time Nikola opened his mouth, Helen had made up her mind. Her stupid, female and easily swayed mind, she realised the moment she'd put her plan into action. Oh well, she decided, anything that led to something this good couldn't be all bad. As her lips attacked his in a frenzy of hurt and fear, she felt his body stiffen and then relax. It was a matter of moments before he was kissing her back with unbridled enthusiasm. Tongues tangled as hands began a frantic exploration of sadly minimal skin. Her hands slid to his hair but she let out a noise of disappointment when they could find no purchase there.

He started to chuckle against her mouth but when she growled at him and tugged him to be flush against her body, he stopped, instead letting his hands drop to caress her waist. Unsatisfied with the contact, Helen started to shuffle closer to him until she found herself straddling his lap. He groaned at the new contact, kissing her with renewed fever. He pulled her closer, roughly shoving the fabric of her dress further up her thighs, tracing the line of her newly exposed stockings where it met with creamy skin. Her lips, meanwhile, travelled from his mouth to his neck, sucking none too gently on his pulse point. He growled and she felt him begin to fight his vampiric urges. She made a mental note to return to that spot before letting her mouth slide to the collar of his shirt.

With deft fingers, she began unbuttoning his shirt, pulling away until she revealed more skin to lick, taste and nip. Never one to sit idly by, Nikola's hands were tracing patterns up her thighs, occasionally digging in his nails when she sucked particularly hard on his neck. Desperate to taste her again, Nikola moved a hand to her head, fisting it in the red locks and pulling her back to his mouth.

As his hands started to drift higher and higher, Helen started to moan, her hips beginning to grind against his. He let out a breathy sigh that, as her hands began to undo his shirt again, became a groan.

"Helen," he said warningly.

"Quite," she instructed, tightening her thighs around his legs. More than willing to comply, Nikola shut his eyes and let his head drift back, enjoying the feeling of her soft lips on his neck. She'd managed to undo a further three buttons before Nikola became fed up with the pace of things. Without so much as a warning, he grabbed her to him, stood up and walked towards the bed. He almost threw her down and she bounced with the force of the action. She barely had enough time to wipe the look of confusion off her face before Nikola was on her, pinning her to the bed as he kissed her. She let out a little squeak but soon caught up with him, her legs automatically shifting to cradle his hips. His mouth slid from hers, starting a trail down her neck and, after pushing away the coat she was still wearing, then onto her collar bone.

He began to fumble with the buttons down the front of her sombre dress as her hands knotted in his hair. Soon enough but not nearly as quickly as he would have liked, he had her naked and lying on the bed. Hands on her waist, he began to drop kisses from the corner of her mouth, moving down her jaw to her neck and then, finally, onto the creamy expanse of her chest. His mouth descended on her nipple and she shivered, letting out a small cry.

"Nikola!" she said, her voice wavering. Concerned, Nikola looked up at her, shocked to see the tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice throaty as he rolled them to the side. She pulled his body closer and ducked her head, cheeks pinking. "Don't be shy, love. You are the most beautiful creature in the world."

Unfortunately, his praise seemed to make her feel worse and she began shaking with sobs. He shushed her, gently stroking her back as she sobbed silently into his neck. Her hands were holding tight to the front of his shirt, pulling them as close as possible while her leg was draped over his hip. He knew she could probably feel his hardness but she didn't seem to mind so he simply held her.

After a few moments, she seemed to get herself together and she pushed out of his embrace. Nikola was torn, he wanted to talk, to ask her what was wrong but part of his mind knew that was the last thing she needed. As far as she was concerned, this was probably nothing more than his lust and her fear. The most unperceptive scientist ever, he decided as she collected up her clothes, dressing without hurry. It took her a few minutes but soon enough she was dressed, looking for all the world as if the past few minutes hadn't happened.

"I'll call up in 10 minutes," she said, not facing him.

"Helen," he admonished softly, getting off the bed. She seemed to tense as he walked towards her.

"I'm sorry," she said, turning on her heel to face him. There was an emotion blazing in her eyes that Nikola couldn't place.

"As am I," he said softly, holding out a hand to stroke her cheek. She jerked her head slightly and he got the message. He dropped his hand to his side and smiled at her, trying to put on a brave face. She returned his smile but it didn't reach her eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment before Helen turned and walked to the door.

As the door shut behind her, Nikola let out a sigh.

It was time to die.


	6. Bullseye

**FINALLY! I am so relieved to finally have this one finished. And yeah, it's big (no innuendo there, I promise)! This chapter, hopefully will explain a whole heap of stuff and answer the few questions people have asked. That said, if you had a question that was not answered, there probably is an answer and if you message me/review I can answer it for you... At 8101 words, I ended up skimming over a few things...**

**To make things a little clearer, this particular chapter is set IMMEDIATELY after "5" (first chapter of this story). I will post more of a timeline at the end of this 'cause I don't want to spoil anything :) I came up with the idea about an hour after I posted that first chapter so, in essence, this has been a long time coming!**

**This mother chucker of a chapter was helped along by some really bad country music that is so pop-y that I'm not sure it even counts as country music AND a delightfully flirty chat I had a with a friend... Not that he'll ever read this ;)**

**Love and hugs to all who have reviewed this story, I sincerely hope this doesn't disappoint...**

**Oh, and warning: read the rating... ;) (and beware the winking smiley face)**

**Enjoy**

**xx**

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><p>Helen woke up slowly, her mind struggling to process where she was. After blinking a few thousand times, her cream curtains came into focus. With a yawn, she rolled over, surprised when she didn't find the space next to her cold. In fact, it was warm enough that someone else may have just left it. She sat up slightly as the memories came flooding back. With a groan, Helen fell back against the bed, raising a hand to her eyes.<p>

Well, that certainly explains the dreams, she thought, frustrated at her inexplicable yet predictable lack of control. Although, she mused silently, they weren't really dreams, instead they were memories of more stupid, inexplicable things she'd done. Or tried to do, depending on how she looked at it. What was it about Nikola that made her kiss him so very often? Well, not very often, 5 times in over a century wasn't exactly much but none the less, Helen couldn't help but feel it was 5 times too many, especially when two of those had occurred in the past month. Or maybe it was six kisses? No, Rome didn't count, that had just been Nikola making a statement.

Of course, in retrospect, those 5 kisses took on a new meaning. The first two times, she didn't really know why it had happened, suspecting that it was a combination of his lust and her need for affection. Even when he'd made his confession in Rome, she didn't believe him, as far as she was concerned, Nikola Tesla was incapable of love. She'd started to suspect he'd been telling the truth when they'd met again in India, though. Actually, that was when she'd started to think that maybe her feelings weren't entirely platonic either. That moment when he stepped out of the shadows towards them was one of the brightest in her life, she honestly had no idea until that point how much his death had affected her. She let out a weak chuckle at that. She really should have realised it earlier, right back when he'd 'died' for the first time.

With a sigh, Helen rolled over again, burying her face in the pillow. She'd already gathered it was rather late in the morning so a few extra minutes of self loathing was perfectly acceptable.

And she really did loathe herself at times like these. Kissing Nikola like that was unfair. Not to mention the… other things she'd tried. For all the compassion she supposedly had, Helen knew she had a rather nasty habit of hurting Nikola in a way he could never admit.

The night of John's 'unveiling' had been more difficult on her than she'd realised at the time but also painful for the others too but her reaction to Nikola's presence had been not only inappropriate but instinctual. She'd needed to know she was not responsible for John's behaviour. Not that she was but it had been one of those foolish thoughts that had eaten away at her frazzled mind. Nikola was a safe bet. He was warm and kind and enough of a gentleman to keep him mouth shut. She hadn't counted on his rejection. Although she'd never been with anyone but John until that point, rejection was something she was used to dolling out, not receiving.

Enough time had passed for Helen to recognize that she, at the time was more stung by the fact that Nikola hadn't wanted her than John's desertion. Until that point she'd been clinging to a tenuous belief that the problem was John, not her but as Nikola refused her, the idiotic notion that she was infected and undesirable filled her mind. When she'd been kicking him out, she hadn't heard his words properly. If she'd heard him say that he 'wanted to do this right' perhaps she wouldn't have spent the next week and a half avoiding him. Actually, she probably wouldn't have sent him away.

It had taken her a few days to accept James' diagnosis that she was pregnant and then prayed that Nikola would accept her behaviour as a side effect of the hormones in her body. It wasn't the truth but she had hoped it was a story he would buy. Of course, they'd never spoken of it again. She had felt a swell of pride in herself when she realised she had in fact chosen the right man to be vulnerable with.

Then there was New York, the closest she'd ever come to giving in to him. As she'd left his hotel room, the heaviness in her heart almost broke her. It had only been her stiff upper lip that had meant their plan succeeded and not that of her rather unscrupulous mind. In truth, she hadn't noticed his absence until their reunion but after spending even a week in his company, the thought of losing it again was one she found unacceptable.

He had hidden with her for three days after that but disappeared into the back waters of wherever before the funeral. Their goodbye had been stilted and painful, Helen holding back her tears through pure luck. The second he was gone, she'd broken down, biting into a towel to stifle the shattering sobs. It was ridiculous for her to feel this way, after all, she hadn't seen him in years but they had decided the moment they began to formulate the plan that once he was 'dead,' he'd have to avoid her and all his old contacts for quite some time.

And oh his touch! His hands had been gentle and loving but desperate and fiery and the combination of emotions she too had been feeling had been too much. She didn't really know why she had started crying, all she knew was that it all felt too right, like the only mistake she had ever made was not being exactly where she was. His hands on her skin, his lips on her lips, his heart in her hands. Looking back now, perhaps it was the unabashed adoration in his eyes. She couldn't sleep with him because she knew he'd never leave her side. Well, she thought, stretching her legs under the covers, that would work for now. It was easier than thinking she had lost her nerve and run away because she didn't want to hurt him. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind.

It was all because of that death ray, she decided, settling on a new strain of thought. Too many people knew of its existence and too many of them wanted to use it. Whether or not it actually worked, she'd never figured out but all because of that blasted machine, she'd almost destroyed her second to last friendship. Maybe 'death ray' was an accurate title after all.

Then there was the time not 3 months ago that he got shot. Nikola, in all his years as a human (as few as they may have been) had never bothered someone enough to be shot. Sure he'd been frustrating and arrogant and (in her own very ineloquent words) a obnoxious ass but the worst he ever suffered were a few nasty words and a well placed sneer or two but oh no, Nikola Tesla couldn't leave well enough alone. Of course he just had to go out and provoke some of the most feared abnormal hunters in the region. He'd left so quickly that she'd never had a chance to ask him why he'd been annoying that particular bad guy. Dare she suspect he was… trying to help? Trying to save the abnormal community from another blood thirsty killer?

Well, whatever the reason, kissing him had been a bad idea. Seeing him lying in that bed, broken and bloody was something new and something powerful. Her first instinct (well, excluding the whole 'save his life' thing) was to, put frankly, jump his bones. Helen could feel herself blushing at the words she had thought but it was true. Her first instinct had been to assure herself that he was alive. Of course, once she'd returned and seen him asleep, all those plaguing doubts came back to haunt her. He couldn't be with her, he wouldn't want to spend his days with a woman who would out live him, a constant reminder of what he had lost. He wouldn't want someone who had been tainted by the effects of Montague John Druitt, someone who could honestly say that a part of her would always love Jack the Ripper.

Yes, she had avoided him but she really had intended to return, to sit by him and have an actual conversation with him but then he'd left and she'd been to afraid to stop him. Maybe his kiss was nothing more than residual affection for her spurred by her state of undress? Maybe he truly didn't want anything more than a quick screw? Whatever the reason was, Helen had decided rather quickly that she wouldn't go searching him out for quite some time.

But in fact, she hadn't needed to seek him out, Nikola had turned up on her doorstep just two months later with a wide grin and a neatly pressed suit. Only he would be able to turn up just in time to help her with the map and while his presence wasn't needed, it was most certainly welcome. The sleepless nights they'd spent working on its secrets reminded her of those early days when the five of them would work for days on end. His intelligence was handy but his playful banter made her feel alive and that was what she treasured most. When he'd set off that EM pulse she'd been more than a little annoyed but she'd enjoyed being cut off from all the technology she had at her disposal even if it was only momentary.

But then he'd spoken Serbian. The flush of anger and arousal had been so quick and so painful that she'd had no choice but to stride after him. His quiet words had echoed down the hallway and by god, if he ever said them again she'd kill him. Screw him against the nearest flat surface and then kill him. And then, once he'd come back to life, she'd screw him again.

The first time he'd said those words to her, she had been painfully naive when it came to the bedroom but her reaction had belied that. John had been elated and shocked at her behaviour that evening but when she finally came, Helen had to admit she'd had to bite her tongue to stop herself from screaming out for Nikola. It was wrong and perverse and dirty but as she rode her fiancé as hard and as fast as she could, it was that Serbian genius who appeared in her mind's eye, urging her on with his dirty words. Both John and Nikola had pushed for her the next day to say those words again but she'd told them (separately of course) that they were never, ever to even attempt to use those words ever again. John had tried to tell her not to be shy but little did he realise her reluctance had nothing to do with the reckless abandon with which she came. Nikola had said nothing but his use of Serbian from then on was limited to whispers when he seemed to think she couldn't hear.

Now fully awake and a little more aroused than she'd like, Helen swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked around the room and noticed her clothes from the previous day were thrown in a corner. Oh, that's right, she'd gotten changed. In front of him. With another groan she fell back against the rumpled sheets. Last night. Last night was a bad idea. A very bad idea. And Helen was woman enough to admit that although her exhaustion had a lot to do with it, towards the end of the encounter, there were other things driving her. His small touches, as innocent and (dare she even think these words in relation to Nikola 'bane-of-her-existence' Tesla?) well intended as they had been had made her both sleepy and aroused.

When he'd undressed her, she'd forgotten to be embarrassed. So much so that she actually insisted on his presence in her bed. Then the kissing began and things… Well, escalated would probably be the exact right word to use. His hands on her skin, their lips moving together as she touched him in ways she'd wanted to for a little too long, it was a potent combination even now in the weak morning light.

But he had pulled back, he had stopped the kisses and touches. She could remember being wrapped around him and the disappointment she'd felt when he rolled her off him. She had wanted him regardless of the fact that she was so tired she was struggling to keep her eyes open. These were the times when Helen both cursed and rejoiced in the fact that when push came to shove, Nikola was a gentleman. An irresistible, smirking, foul mouthed gentleman. She almost added immortal to that list but stopped just in time.

With a sigh, Helen pulled herself out of bed and prepared to dress for yet another paperwork filled day.

It was early evening before Helen had a moment to herself again. She couldn't bring herself to be upset that three separate catastrophes had pulled her away from the mountain of paperwork she had to do but as she sat down at her desk again, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt that she'd let it get this bad. Stretching out her legs, Helen tried to settle into the work but found herself easily distracted, her mind unwilling to work on the tasks at hand

After nearly an hour of struggling to focus, Helen gave up. As she pushed away from her desk, she tried to figure out what had been bugging her this entire time. Oh what was the point in trying to hide it from herself, she wondered with a sigh. It wasn't exactly complicated, she was worried about Nikola. She hadn't seen him once all day and although holing himself up in a lab was nothing new as far as the ex-vampire was concerned, the events of last night made Helen worried.

With a guilty conscience, Helen headed out of her office. The halls of the Sanctuary were quite tonight and, even though they had power again, very dark. With all of her team out and about, the place seemed eerily quiet. Helen found herself glad her home was empty tonight, it meant that nothing would interfere with the discussion she wanted to have with Nikola. Well, in theory.

First she checked the library and was a little surprised to find it empty. It seems neither of them had done any work on the map today which was a little startling considering the fever with which they'd attacked it in the two weeks prior. Moving to plan B, Helen turned on her heel and began a quick march towards the laboratories. As she grew closer and closer, her hands began to shake but she soldiered on. This conversation would happen now or never. She had to apologize not only for last night but each of the other times she had abused his affections. As she drew nearer, she realised she had never actually said those words to him, she had never apologized for her foolish behaviour or her rash words.

Taking a deep steadying breath, Helen walked towards her favourite lab although it was almost to plushly appointed to be considered a lab. The room was not cold and clinical but instead had a rather homey feel with wood panelled walls and an examination bed rather than a gurney. Normally she used it for nothing more than temporary accommodation for incapacitated residents who required ongoing testing but, not only was it empty at the moment, it also had a rather large collection of books, something that could always draw Nikola to a place.

As she reached the end of the corridor, Helen was not disappointed. The door to this particular lab was partially open and she could hear the gentle clink of a wine glass hitting a table. She wondered briefly why he hadn't already called out to her, as was his custom but quickly remember that he probably had no idea of her approach. With a sigh she pushed open the door to the room and plastered what she hoped was a benign smile on her face.

There he was, sitting in the corner, book in hand. He was dressed, as per usual in the most impeccable manner that still seemed to be effortless. She hesitated. He knew she was here but still had not looked up at her.

"What is it Helen?" he asked, not looking up from his book. His tone was patronizing and Helen had the most peculiar feeling that he was hiding something from her.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come have some dinner with me," she adlibbed, hoping to sound convincing. "I haven't seen you all day." That last bit slipped out and she couldn't help the disappointment that coloured her tone.

"I've eaten, thank you," came his terse reply. She knew straight away that, firstly, he was lying and secondly, he was ignoring her secondary statement. She didn't know whether to be annoyed or relieved at that.

"Nikola," she said, exasperated, finally deciding to take the annoyed path. "You need to leave this room. You've been locked in here all day and you need to eat something." When he didn't show any inclination to move, Helen had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. "

At least move to a proper laboratory," she pleaded. "That way if you blow something up I can replace it. That chair you are sitting on is an antique."

"The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. No big laboratory is needed in which to think. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone, this is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born," he said smoothly, never looking up from the book in his hands.

"And now you're quoting yourself?" she snorted. He looked up at her with a grin before snapping the book shut. She was startled at his change of mood but decided promptly to accept it and move on.

"Good read?" she asked, nodding at the book in his hands.

"Very," he said with a peculiar smirk. Helen felt her heart drop. He hadn't, had he? She looked at the book he was holding and recognized the cover instantly. She cursed herself that she hadn't recognized it sooner.

"Nikola," she warned.

"Relax, Helen," he replied sagely, carefully placing her very first field journal on the table next to him. Right after their injections, Helen had started to keep a journal of all the changes that were happening to them but, as time progressed, it became more and more personal, gradually morphing into her personal views on things they had witnessed or played party to. Of course, she'd kept another, far more scientific version also, but that particular book had held all her personal thoughts on their transformations and so much more. Helen could feel the embarrassed anger beginning to flood her body as she looked between Nikola and the book. Before she could open her mouth to scold him, Nikola held up a hand.

"I'm sorry," he said with an exasperated sigh. "Had I known what it was actually about, I wouldn't have read it. Well, I might have but none the less."

She rolled her eyes at him but felt relieved that he hadn't intentionally gone out to invade her privacy. Not that anything in that book was particularly salacious or overly intimate but her writings had been more emotional than scientific and he could tell.

"I had no idea you were so torn by your lack of a physical transformation," he commented, his tone was light and teasing but she could sense that this was one of those moments when Nikola Tesla was actually asking her a personal question that didn't require her to take off her clothes.

"Can you blame me?" she asked as he walked towards her. "You all were changed so dramatically and I showed almost no change whatsoever." Her tone was light but she hoped he'd understand she was giving him an honest answer.

They stood silently for a moment, watching each other watch the other. Nikola was the first to crack.

"Why are you here?" he asked softly, his eyes asking a multitude of questions Helen could not even begin to fathom.

"Dinner," she said weakly.

He scoffed.

"Why are you here?" His voice was impossibly softer.

"I wanted to apologize," she admitted. Nikola rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Spare me," he said as he walked back towards his chair. "I don't need your sympathy."

"And you weren't going to get it," she retorted, taking a few steps towards him. "My behaviour last night was reprehensible and I shouldn't have treated you in such a way. I _never_ should have." She wondered if he'd get the double meaning in her last sentence.

As he turned around to glare at her furiously, she gathered he had.

"Get out Helen. You aren't sorry, for any of it. You just want to ease your guilt and I won't be a part of it."

His words had tumbled out harsh and low, his voice gravely as he spoke.

"Nikola, grow up," she instructed a little more harshly than she'd intended. "I came here tonight because I know that what I asked of you last night was wrong. You deserve more respect that I showed you and while there is nothing I can say that will undo my actions, you have to know that I am deeply sorry for what I did. Of course I feel guilty about what I tried to do but I am not asking you to forgive me or even understand, I am simply-."

Her tirade was cut short when he stepped towards her and gave her the most toe curling kiss she had ever received.

"Never apologise," he whispered against her mouth as his hands held her shoulders tight. "Never, ever feel guilty for what you did. I love you Helen and I always will. I am yours and there is no need for you to apologise for taking what is yours." As he finished speaking, his lips fell on hers once again with unbridled passion. She found herself kissing him back, mouth opening under his, welcoming his tongue with her own. Her hands moved to his waist and pulled him closer as he threaded his hands in her hair. Pleased with her response, Nikola groaned into her mouth before deepening the kiss. Their bodies were now flush and Helen could feel every inch of Nikola's approval for her actions. Unthinkingly, she rocked her hips against his, eliciting a gasp from him.

Nikola moved his mouth from hers and began a series of hot kisses down the length of her neck, pausing to nibble on her pulse point. She shivered in his arms and her eyes flew shut. He was muttering something against her flesh and it took Helen a few moments to fight through the fog clouding her mind to finally understand what he was saying.

"Love you. Love you. Love you. Love you. Love you."

The words were soft but insistent, used to punctuate his kisses. Helen felt a shiver run down her spine and she was sure that it was entirely a feeling of pleasure. Determined to shut him up, she fisted her hand in his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers. She kissed him greedily and pulled him tighter against her body. He moaned in response and his hands flew to her hips.

Eventually the need for air over took the need to taste him and Helen pulled back to suck in a few life sustaining gasps. Nikola, meanwhile, had ducked his head back to her neck and was now sucking lightly on the flesh. Now it was Helen's turn to moan. Hand still in his hair, she held him steady, revelling in the feel of his wet mouth on her neck once again.

"Love you. Love you. Love you."

The words were tumbling out of his mouth again and Helen froze for just one second but it was enough to draw his ministrations to a halt. He straightened up and immediately Helen dove for his lips. He kissed her firmly before putting his hands on her shoulders and pushing her back.

"What's wrong?" she asked breathily, desperate to return to her previous task.

"I will never stop saying it," he said quietly. Incomprehension filled her eyes for just one moment before it all clicked.

"Please Nikola," she almost moaned. She knew it was a dangerous game she was playing but after so many years of dancing around it, Helen need Nikola. She needed the pleasure his kisses promised and, after all this time, she was more than ready to take it if need be.

"Helen," he said, his voice solemn enough to make her worry. "I love you." Each word was clear and rang through her body in a way that made her elated and terrified. Nikola's love was too much for her. She could take his kisses and caresses but his love? That was something else entirely.

"Nikola," she chastised, trying to pull him in for another kiss.

"I'm not going to stop saying it because you're afraid. I love you Helen. I love you."

"Don't Nikola, please, just… stop," she said, fighting her way out of his arms.

"No, you stop Helen. You love me. You do. You can't bear to lose me," he argued, stepping closer but not raising a finger.

"Nikola please," she begged, he had to stop, she couldn't take any more of this.

"You love me," he whispered as he finally raised a hand to stroke her cheek.

"Don't ruin this," she said, grabbing his hand and holding it in place. Nikola threaded his fingers into hers and held her eye. Both stayed perfectly still for a minute, savouring the contact before Helen gave him a soft, pitying smile.

"I can't Nikki," she told him, her eyes sad. He hated the nickname, absolutely hated it and she was counting on that fact. If he stood this close to her for much longer, she was fairly certain she'd explode.

"Then why are you here?" he yelled as he dropped her hand and stepped back. "I don't need you to say it to me, Helen, I just need you to be able to hear it," he continued, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

Shocked to her core, Helen stood perfectly still watching as he turned away from her again. Nikola leant forwards, resting his arms on the armrest of the chair he had been sitting in earlier. Watching him like this reminded her so much of those early days and the observations she'd made of him. His passion, unchecked and beautiful flowed freely, none of this careful restraint he'd built up to protect himself and everyone else. There was a time when the slightest thing could set off his full transformation, turning him from the quiet and snarky Serb to a toothy vampire in the blink of an eye.

For the tiniest fraction of a second, Helen held her breath, waiting for him to 'vamp out' as Nigel referred to it but then she realised why his very human shoulders were still shaking with his deep breaths.

"I can't Nikola," she said eventually, her voice even. "I can't lo…. lo…." Damn it! So much for sounding cool and composed.

"But don't you get it!" he said suddenly, turning around to show her the tortured look in his eyes. "You do love me. You love me, Helen. You don't have to say it, I know you do." With that he dashed towards her and captured her lips in a bruising kiss. Helen responded with everything she had, willing her lips to communicate the words she couldn't get out, the words she didn't even know if she felt.

"I need more time," she whispered between kisses. Nikola tightened his grip on her for just a second before releasing her, almost shoving her away. He let out a bitter and twisted laugh.

"Don't you get it Helen, I don't have time. I am literally running out of time."

There he stood, one hand on his hip, breathing heavily and Helen realised something. She hated him. She hated every single fibre of his insolent being. She hated the way he risked everything, including herself and her team for his own selfish ends. She hated that he expected her to move mountains for him but only appeared on her doorstep when he needed help and not when she did. She hated that he always, always wore a suit even when it made him stick out like a sore thumb. She hated that he had no respect for anyone, treating everyone like dirt. She hated the way he teased and flirted and hid his true intent with every innuendo loaded statement. She hated the fact that he just assumed she loved him, like it was a given, inevitable considering their history. More than that, she hated that he was right.

She hated that they had no time, that he was right about that too. She hated that he was dying and there was nothing she could do about it. They'd both faced death on several occasions, hell, she'd been reanimated just a few weeks ago but he was actually dying. She hated that he'd waited so long for this moment, almost too long.

She hated him.

And with that thought, Helen swept across the room to kiss him. He didn't fight against her, in fact he fought for control, something, it turned out, neither of them were prepared to give up. As her tongue fought for dominance, Helen wrapped herself possessively around his wiry frame. Nikola had one hand on her hip, the other tangled in her thoroughly mussed hair as he drew her closer. Tugging harshly on the strands, he pulled her head back, exposing her neck to him once again.

"I love you," he said for the umpteenth time and she realised that he was just as afraid as she was. He couldn't say it to her face.

"I know, Nikola, I know," she murmured back. He froze for just a second before moving to devour her lips again, all the while murmuring his adoration for her.

Helen could feel the tears coming to her eyes and try as she might, she couldn't hold them back. She wanted to fight this feeling growing inside her but the sweetness in his words and his kisses were addictive. She couldn't live without this after having experienced it. Again, she found another reason she hated him, he was destroying her. He was tearing down who she was only to build her back, with himself as the glue. She wanted to run from this kind of worship but she couldn't. She couldn't hurt herself or Nikola like that.

Swept up in the emotion of it, Helen pulled him closer, trying to tell him exactly what she wanted through her kisses. And boy did he know it.

Breaking the kiss, Nikola stood back, breathing heavily. With a wicked smile that spoke of nothing but sin, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. She knew in an instant what he had in mind and matched his stride. Hand in hand they walked down the corridor until the pressure was too much to bear.

Without a word of warning, Helen stopped and shoved Nikola to the nearest wall. Surprise flickered across his face before he smirked at her. When she kissed him again, she could almost taste his snarky response but as her body crushed against his, his mood changed abruptly. His hands were pulling almost frantically at her clothes as her nipped at her lips.

Seeking flesh, Helen's hands moved straight to his waist coat, unbuttoning it quickly before trailing her hands down to the waist band of his now painfully tight pants. She started to fumble with but Nikola's hands caught her wrists before she made any progress. Not understanding his actions, Helen pulled back far enough so that she could look into his eyes. The grin he flashed her sent shivers down her spine and, before she could even formulate a response, Nikola had flipped them so that she was pressed against the wall.

Letting go of her wrists, Nikola moved back to her now bruised lips as he forced her back against the wall. With a moan, Helen wrapped her arms around him, tugging on his hair to bring him even closer. His hand grabbed her hip roughly as he ground his erection into her. She gasped and his hand travelled further down her leg until he hiked it up to rest on his hip. Leaning all his weight against her, Nikola pulled away to nibble at her neck as his hand started to push the fabric of her skirt higher and higher up her thigh.

"Oh god, Nikola," she moaned and he chuckled against her neck.

"I would have thought it would take more than a few kisses to get me to the level of a deity but I'll take it," he whispered back and she groaned again, half annoyed and half aroused but the former fell away the moment he brushed his finger tips over her panties. Letting out a rather swooning sigh, Helen let her head fall back against the wood with a soft thunk as her eyes flittered closed. Nikola struggled with her skirt for a few seconds and, as his hands left their delightful positions, Helen opened her eyes.

The look of annoyance on Nikola's face actually made her giggle but the glare he shot her made her bite her lip. His mouth twitched in annoyance but she could see the gleam in his eye that told her she wasn't really in trouble. Quickly he surveyed the corridor they were in and Helen was about to interrupt him when, in one smooth movement, he pulled away from her, grabbed her hips roughly and shoved her towards a small table a few feet away from them. Helen was about to protest but the second she was seated on the table, Nikola's mouth claimed hers urgently.

His hands skimmed down her sides before he shoved the already creased fabric of her skirt up to her hips, exposing her silk panties to his gaze. Helen's hands flew to his belt, trying once again to undo it but again, Nikola stopped her. She let out a frustrated growl and Nikola pulled back to look at her.

"Trust me," he whispered softly and Helen felt a shiver fly down her spine. Seeing her give up the fight, Nikola smiled softly before kissing her again. His nimble fingers moved to the front of her blouse and, with the flick of a wrist her top fell open. Taking advantage of the newly exposed flesh, Nikola swooped down to kiss the column of her neck while his hands held her hips just out of reach of the delicious friction she was craving. With a series of light kisses across her collar bone, Nikola pulled away.

Nikola flashed her another smug grin and, just as she opened her mouth to protest, her strapless bra fell away from her body. Her eyes opened wide as she tried to figure out what happened and Nikola seized the chance, leaning forward to capture a nipple. Clutching him to her, Helen let out a low moan.

"You're brilliant," she moaned as her hips began to buck against his iron grip. He said nothing but, as his fingers began dancing over her hips towards where she wanted them most, she was fairly certain he was grinning even wider than before. When he began tracing the edge of her panties, Helen thought she'd implode. Letting out a rather strained whimper, she prayed he'd just get on with it. As sweet as this torture may be, she needed him and she needed him now.

At the strange noise, Nikola broke away from her, bringing yet another, but entirely different whimper to her lips. He grinned at her but, before she could try anything, he shoved aside the fabric of her soaked panties and thrust two fingers straight into her hot core. She screamed as her muscles began to contract around him, begging him to move even a fraction of an inch.

Taking in her open mouth, half closed eyes and white knuckles as she held the edge of the table, Nikola chuckled. At once her eyes flew open and her hips began thrusting earnestly against his fingers. She was so wet and so tight and Nikola could tell she was only moments away from release so he pulled away. The sound of utter disappointment that escaped her lips made Nikola's heart ache but as he took in her next move, his heart stopped. One of her hands had moved from its position on the table to rest between her legs, gently stroking herself.

Nikola's eyes widened and his gaze flicked to hers. With a groan, he claimed her lips again and replaced her own tentative hand with his own far more adventurous one. As his tongue began to thrust into her mouth, his fingers did the same to her core, each time hitting that sweet spot and making her cry out. Her climax was mounting and he felt her begin to shake in his arms. Her hands moved to his belt and this time Nikola made no move to stop her, instead moving as close as he could to allow her better access as he ripped her panties off with his bare hands.

In a matter of seconds, she was holding his cock, guiding him towards her entrance. In one, hard thrust he was completely sheathed within her, tearing a scream from her as he did so. Barely giving her a chance to adjust to his intrusion, he began to thrust earnestly and she wrapped her legs around him, taking him deeper and deeper. It took no more than 5 quick, deep thrusts to bring them both to their peaks and they exploded in pleasure simultaneously, Helen clawing at his back while Nikola's teeth found purchase on her neck. As their respective cries faded away, Helen clutched him to her, memorizing the feel of his shuddering breath on her neck. The remained locked together for a minute, both shaking from the force of their release.

Slowly, Helen removed her legs and pushed against him until she was able to sit up properly. Nikola stepped back far enough to tuck himself back in but, as he started to do up his belt, Helen captured his hands.

"There's no need for that," she said with a smirk and she pulled him closer so that she could rest her head on his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, Nikola dropped a kiss on the top of her head and smiled. She couldn't see his jubilation but she was about 99% sure he was feeling just as happy as her. Maybe even more so considering the fact that every time they had met in the past four years he had shamelessly attempted to get her into bed. Not that they'd made it that far. With that, Helen pushed away from him so that she could stand up. After slipping her skirt back into its proper position, she quickly did up the buttons on her blouse. She saw the look of disappointment on Nikola's face but she kept her own perfectly neutral. Without so much as a backwards glance, Helen turned and began walking down the corridor, her pace measured and even as a hand smoothed out her skirt. When she was a few metres away from him she stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"Coming?" she asked with a wicked smile. His answering grin was broad and evil.

"Again so soon?" he asked, hurrying to catch up with her. She said nothing, simply chuckling as she kept her pace.

The trip to her room (or their room, she decided with surprising ease) took longer than it should have but the fact that every few minutes one of them would pin the other to the wall for a few moments of ardent kissing made up for the fact. By the time they got to the lift, Helen was just about ready to rip off his clothes and have her way with him again and the conspicuous bulge against the small of her back as he pushed her into the wall made her think he was ready too.

When they finally reached the room, Helen was desperate for him. Grabbing the front of his shirt, she kissed him hard before throwing him towards the bed.

"What happened to your no touching rule?" he asked, quickly unbuttoning his shirt. Helen rolled her eyes as she did the same.

"I said no more touching until we got out of the elevator," she clarified as she kicked off her heels.

"Semantics," was Nikola's breathless response as he discarded the last of his clothing. Once Helen had wrestled off the last of her clothes, she headed straight for the bed.

The moment their lips met, relief washed over her and all that tightly coiled tension in her body morphed into anticipation as his hands began caressing her bare curves. Although it had been no more than 10 minutes since their last encounter, Helen was ravenous for him and she was grateful that vampire or no, his stamina seemed up to the task. With a growl, Nikola rolled them across the bed until he had her pinned. With a grin he started up a trail of hot, wet kisses down her throat. Helen could feel him hard against her leg and, impatient to feel him inside her again, she began to run against him. With a shuddering groan, Nikola stopped just as he reached the swollen peak of one breast. A mix of disappointment and approval washed through her and, without thinking, Helen used all her body weight to roll them until she was straddling his thighs.

Nikola let out a squeak of surprise but she could see the approval in his eyes. With a smug chuckle more befitting the man between her legs than herself, Helen leant down and kissed him harshly, bitting on his bottom lip as her nails scored his chest. Nikola bucked against her as a growl escaped his lips. Satisfied with his response, Helen sat up and shimmied down until she was resting between Nikola's legs. His eyes widened as he realised her goal but before he could even think about the consequences, she ran her tongue up the underside of his throbbing cock before sweeping over the weeping head. His eyes were scrunched shut and his hands fisting in as he let out a moan.

Helen's smirk went unseen but as she slowly took as much of him into her mouth as possible, his responding moan made her want to grin even wider. Wrapping the fingers of one hand around the base of his member, Helen began to slowly move up and down, sucking as hard as she could. The pure, unadulterated taste of him was driving her insane and she picked up the pace, wanting to taste all of him.

"Helen," Nikola choked out. "If you keep that up, this isn't going to last nearly as long as I'd like." She chuckled and the vibrations made his cock twitch.

"Seriously Helen," he growled, threading a hand into her hair. She could feel his body beginning to tense before he dragged her mouth away from him. She let out a grunt of pain as she was propelled to the side, landing in a tangle next to a moaning Nikola.

"Dammit woman, you're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

"Call it payback," she responded breathily.

"No," he said, rolling on top of her. "_This_ is payback."

And with that, he moved quickly down her body, kissing, licking and bitting his way the juncture between her thighs.

Helen thought about reprimanding him but as his wicked tongue began doing wicked things to her, she gave up the idea, instead laying back and moaning as he bought her closer and closer to the peak she was already about to reach. As his tongue played with her clit as one finger and then another began to move within her. The thrust were shallow and Helen began to buck her hips desperately, begging for release but to no avail. Nikola kept his movements soft and teasing, never quite taking her to the heights she was hoping for. Then, with a particularly hard thrust and well placed twist of his fingers, Helen came screaming out his name. Her body convulsed as white hot pleasure seared through her and she could think of nothing but that stupid ex-vampire between her legs.

"I thought payback was meant to be a bitch?" she asked after a few minutes, her body finally calming down enough to allow the construction of sentences.

"Yeah well, I couldn't resist," Nikola said softly, coming up to drop kisses along her collar bone. "Don't let it go to your head."

"That's my line," she mumbled. She could feel him smirk against her collar bone but he made no other answer. "Nikola," she said softly, trying to get his attention but he refused to look at her.

"Nikola," she said a little more sternly, pulling at his hair. With a gentle sigh against her skin he moved back to look at her. "Please."

His eyes soften at the word and in a second he was positioned over her, hovering above her. She could see the apprehension in his eyes but couldn't understand it. After everything they'd done in the past hour, how could he think she'd not want this? Letting out an exasperated sigh, Helen pulled his lips down to hers, allowing her adoration for him to run free. Taking that as his cue, Nikola slowly thrust into her. Still shaking from the after effects of her previous orgasm, Helen had to fight the urge to pull away from the pleasure that was so close to pain as the length of Nikola's body came into contact with hers. They held eye contact for a few seconds before Nikola smiled brilliantly at her. Her answering smile was almost instantaneous and they began to move together.

Hours later, finally sated, Helen lay with her head on Nikola's shoulder. They were curled closer than strictly necessary considering the warmth in the room yet neither seemed to upset with it but while she lay wide awake, Nikola was breathing evenly, finally asleep. Until this point, Helen figured she could count the number of times she'd actually seen him asleep on one hand, even before the blood. With a sigh she snuggled in closer, enjoying the relaxation evident on her lover's face. She wore a little smile as she mused over the news she had to tell him. After everything that happened with Hollow Earth, she figured he deserved a little treat. Surely sex and a side of Praxian stronghold would suffice as an apology for leaving him behind before.

Turning her head to his neck, Helen closed her eyes, finally content enough to fall asleep. Taking one last look at the sleeping man who was holding her, Helen smiled.

"I love you too," she whispered softly into his skin.

* * *

><p><strong>So, timeline (which some of you super smart cookies may have figured out but here it is, just in case):<strong>

**"Three" - **Unveiling John

**"One" - **The Death of Nikola Tesla _(Set in 1943)_

**"Four" - **The Angel in White _(Set after Sleepers and in early-ish season three)_

_(There's a time lapse of around about three months here)_

**"Two" -** That Awkward Moment When Helen Learns Serbian

_(In here we have the trip to Hollow Earth and that middle section of season three)_

**"Five" - **Tired

**"Bullseye" - **Awakening

And, as you have probably guessed, this last chapter is the evening before they set off for everyone's favourite episode, Awakening (hence the title for this chapter which I didn't plan but as I sat here typing this, it just came to me and I think it fits because Helen is finally waking up her feelings!).

Also, the Tesla quote is an actual Tesla quote! Cool, huh?

Again, love and hugs,

xx


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